


Star Wars: Before the Storm

by Riddlersroad



Series: Star Wars: Flowers of Force [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Pre-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 15,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21562543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riddlersroad/pseuds/Riddlersroad
Summary: The planet lychnus was a peaceful world before a group of exploring jedi arrive.Its a story of twisted love, one that will end a woman's life prematurely.
Relationships: OC/sheev palpatine
Series: Star Wars: Flowers of Force [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1553956
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Welcome to my world

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there was a small planet covered in water besides a small continent. On this continent, in a village on the plains, there was a young girl. She was small, barely a dot in the window she sat in. it was normal for the females of her species to be smaller than the males, but this was an extreme case.

It was sunset, the busiest time since the people hated being in the sun. To hot. Everybody seemed happy not, though, smiling and laughing as they went about their business. Children of various ages and colors played together. Reds, blues, and greens. The colors of the flowers that grew naturally along the paths, actually.

The young girl in the window began playing with her long tail, twisting the fuzzy golden thing around and around her arm until it she ran out, then reversed it. Her tail was as long as she was tall plus a few inches, though she was really small for a seven year old. The hair on her head was golden as well, and fell just below her waist. At the moment it was braided and twisted into a bun on the back of her head. 

In the darkened streets she could see the eyes of her people as they glanced up at ther in the window. They seemed to glow differently depending on her people. Those descendant from forest dwellers had green hair and tinted skin, with long, thick tails to help them swing through the trees. They were tall, skinny, and had brilliant green eyes. Those from the scarlet mountains had red hair and shorter or no tails. Their skin was a pink color, and their eyes shone a deep scarlet. The last group were the cave dwellers, with their blue hair and eyes that glowed brighter than all the others. They wouldn’t come out of their homes until it was late into the night, since their large eyes weren’t good with light.

The young girl was unique in her colors. Since her mother was from the mountains, and her father was from the caves, everybody thought she would be a mix of the two like her older siblings. Instead, she was born with a complexion similar to the moons, pale and silvery with a faint glow. Her eyes shone a bright yellow like the sun and she was far more graceful than any other children. While people from the mountains were built like warriors and were known for their ability to fight off boars and other threats to their village, she was weak but quicker than most. People from the caves were known for their darker personalities and antisocial behaviors, while she was a social butterfly and loved to help other people.

The child hopped off the window, looking through the tower at the small crystal hovering midair unaided. It was a pure white color, and Comma hoped silently it would stay that way.

Down the stairs she went, smiling and waving back to her elder siblings as she did. Max and Mei, a boy and a girl as usual, were both the normal height. Mei at Six feet, Max about half a foot taller. They overshadowed their little sister, who was barely four feet tall on her tiptoes. Their parents came in then, smiling at the sight of their youngest. 

The mother knelt down so she and her youngest were eye to eye. She did this every time they saw each other as a way of measuring the child without telling her. The child knew anyways.

The young girl had noticed in the past couple months that many things were different between her compared to her family. Her parents had tiny tails, her’s was long. Their teeth were yellow, her’s was snow white. They couldn’t stand the sun for different reasons, but she loved seeing the world under the bright light of the sun.

Before the parents could inform the child of her nightly duties, a man burst through the front door. He was a green farmer, it looked like, but his fear grabbed their attention. He quickly informed them that there was a metal bird falling from the sky over the forest not far from the village. Like the old stories, or perhaps the new ones. 

The youngest said she wanted to speak or see it from a distance first. As usual, she was given anything she wanted without argument.

The girl ran as fast as her feet could take her, immediately taking to the trees once she came to the forest edge. Jumping from branch to branch quickly and excitedly, she hurried towards the direction of the “metal bird.” When she finally came to the contraption, she watched as four short adults and a small purple boy came out. The boy was sent back into the contraption while the newcomers began looking around at the trees.

The newcomers were dressed in strange, dirt colored robes that covered their entire bodies except their hands. There were three men and one woman, made obvious by their hair and body shape. The woman had long red hair similar to the mountain dwellers, but no tail and her ears weren’t pointed. They all seemed similar to the people of this world with how they walked and stood, but not so much because of their size and feet, which weren’t to big. The young girl looked at her own feet, which were long and wrapped around the branch like a hand gripping it. The newcomers had some sort of fabric covering their feet.

The men and woman all hurried taking pictures and making notes she couldn’t understand into a small device she didn’t recognize.

“Something’s here,” one of the men whispered. Regardless of the circumstances and possible dangers, the child’s curiosity outweighed her fear. She jumped from branch to branch, catching their attention before quickly making her way down to some lower branches. She smiled and waved with both hands excitedly. The woman gasped for reasons the child didn’t know.

“I, Obran,” one of the men said, pointing to his chest. His dark brown hair was messy and stuck in every direction.

The child bowed her head slightly, then mimicked his movement by pointing to her own chest. “I… Comma.” She pointed at him. “Obran.”

He nodded, relief obvious on his face. The newcomers watched as Comma dropped off her spot and began removing her dark gloves. She reached and took a hold of one of Obran’s hands. For a moment, both of their eyes glowed a bright golden color. She smiled wider, giggling before pulling him after her.

“Come, come, Jedi man,” she said. Her accent was thick and had a hint of amusement in it.

“You know basic?” He gasped.

“Now know. Come, come.” She giggled and looked back at them. “Fun night, yes?”


	2. The Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The flowers are more alive than you might think.

The chatter throughout the giant room worked to the newcomer’s advantage. They could talk to Comma all they want and not be interrupted or eavesdropped on. Everybody sat in small groups, family probably, and ate on mats on the shiny wooden floors. There were no tables, and the boar roasting outside on a spike wasn’t served so everybody had to carve themselves a serving. Since everybody else had night vision, a small lantern was lit for the jedi. There was a clear ring around them, the people sitting just outside the light.

“How do you know basic? I was under the impression we discovered this planet.” Obran asked. Comma tilted her head in confusion. 

“How do you discover inhabited planet?” She asked. When he didn’t know how to answer she just smiled and raised her gloved hands. “Hand. Hand touch you, I know basic. Simple. Can learn past with touch.”

“Psychometry? That’s a rare ability.” Obran said, surprised. 

“You look a lot different from everybody else here,” Lorah, the woman, said. Comma nodded and looked away. Lorah and the other Jedi saw the girl as beautiful, but the child was anything but that in her culture. Small size, skinny frame, and goldens eyes were seen as sickly.

“Born with rare power. Shows in my appearance.” She pointed up at the ceiling of the mess hall. Despite the darkness, the jedi could make out a giant mural of a beautiful woman with golden hair and eyes. She wore a white dress and had a long tail. Flowers of various colors and type were braided into her hair and twisted around her tail. A wooden staff, similar to Comma’s, spewed golden light from the crystal at the tip that twisted into a snake in the air. “My look names me peace keeper. Me and my family… keep up education and support after tragedy.”

“All that because of how you look?” Lorah looked surprised and a little humored.

Comma pointed to her chest. “Powerful. Most powerful right now. Fitting to be the ruler. Others don’t want bad ruler, so they do as I say.”

Their expressions turned to fear.

“And when you die who will be next to rule? Your child?”

Comma shook her head. It was against tradition for a ruler to get married or have children. They were supposed to live to serve the people, meaning there was no time for them to have a family once they are an adult. Then there was the various other reasons. “My age slows at adulthood. I will live four hundred years unless killed. Others live between 100 and 150 years. Worry about next ruler later.”

Obran looked confused. “Why does your power and appearance change your life expectancy?”

She shrugged. “Don’t know. Or care.”

They chatted long into the night about the planet and the people, not noticing as everybody around them began returning home and the streets became deserted. The people called themselves “fargul”. One of the more interesting things was that the men aged rapidly at puberty, then stopped aging almost entirely at age twenty. It was common for men to find a lover as early as the age 14. Women, however, don’t typically pursue a man unless he actively shows his interest for her. Markel, another one of the jedi, thought it was interesting that all children besides ones like Comma are born as a twin.

A story of a giant metal bird bringing them all to this world a thousand years ago told why they were frightened by the Jedi’s arrived. The fargul knew they had been easily tempted by the evils of the world, and they were afraid these newcomers would be too.

“It’s time to sleep,” Comma said, standing up. The others did the same, looking out the windows to see the sun beginning to rise. They’d been talking the entire night.

“You’re all nocturnal? Or just some of you?” Brucle, the third male jedi, asked.

“Sun to bright for eyes. To warm for some’s skin. Very sensitive to suns, they are.” Comma bid farewell to the jedi with a warning. 

_“Do not touch the flowers of black or gold.”_

Sadly, there was a field of flowers like that not far from the ship, and the song they sang were to loud for Markel to ignore. 

“Where are you going?” Obran asked the dazed man as he stumbled in a different direction. Markel waved him off and continued on, listening to the world’s whispering.

He came to a meadow filled with golden flowers and smokey black ones. For each golden flower there was a dark one growing besides it, each battling the other for space but getting nowhere. If Markel heard the golden flowers warning him he paid no attention.

_“Eat my pedals and you will never die.”_ the dark flowers promised. The golden flowers screamed at him to stop as he plucked a dark flower from the ground.

_“Eat my pedals and you will be all powerful_.” 

There was no hesitation before he put the flower to his mouth and ate it whole.


	3. The Home of Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe

“Hello?! Hello?! This is Jaro Tapal! Jaro Tapal Jedi Padawan to Obran Corvant. Please, we need assistance! Markel did… I don’t know, but he’s turned into a monster!”   
  


The padawan turned towards the exit when a scream outside echoed inside. It was Lorah. A bang against the door startled the young boy. They must’ve all fallen.

A lightsaber went through the door, flickering unstably as it forced the door open. The young boy jumped up and armed himself with his brilliant blue lightsaber. A second later the door was broken down by the four Jedi knights. Obran stood in the front, eyes bloodied from somebody clawing at his face. A bite mark on his neck was ripped out with flesh and blood lining the collar of his shirt. Black, thick blood like ink was leaking out of his nose, mouth, ears, wounds, and what was left of his eyes. The lightsabers they carried had been shiny and clean only a couple hours ago, but were now rusted and the blades flickered and screamed out from the pain of their holders. Black, inky veins were inching their way through their bodies.

The other three jedi weren’t much better off than Obran with their injuries, except for Markel. He had various rings around his limbs from when the Jedi tried to destroy him. Turns out, their limbs stitch themselves back together.

“I’m going to die, I’m going to die-” Jaro muttered over and over as his eyes lingered on his undead master, Obran. After begging for years to explore the galaxy, they finally agreed for an explorer to take him as a padawan. Now he’s going to die.

Before his master could reach him, they all flew into a wall and sat pinned to a wall. Comma sat in the entrance, arms outstretched towards where she was holding them with the force.

“Come on!” She yelled. The boy didn’t need to be told twice.

He ran with her close behind him towards the village. She screamed something in her language up to the guards of the main entrance through the wall around the village and they were quickly let in. A glance back before the door shut showed the jedi stumbling out of the forest.

“Who you?” Comma asked quickly, taking his hands in hers and searching his purple skin for any dark markings. Bells rang loudly, but was nearly drowned out by the people bustling around the streets in a panic.

“Jaro Tapal. Jedi padawan, eleven years old I don’t know what’s happening-” she began pulling him towards the heart of the village while poorly equipped adults with blindfolds or thick clothing made their way towards the walls or towers depending on their weapon of choice. “Where are we going?”   
  
“Home of learning. Tragedy or disaster, children go to home of learning if parents are gone.”   
  
The home of learning was a school that was built about the same as a large house. It was brick with four large rooms, two bathrooms, and a large yard with trees and flowers making everything colorful. The rooms were painted with splashes of colors like somebody was splattering the walls and ceiling with paint.

Not many kids were actually there and, surprisingly, the school was much quieter than the world outside. A few kids reached out and brushed a hand over Jaro’s purple hair or skin. 

A red haired girl asked a question, Comma translated quickly. “What are you?”   
  
“A lasat,” Jaro replied. Everybody but Comma had their eyes covered or shadowed by a hood, but the eyes he could see widened in surprise at learning something new.

Comma busied herself pulling a heavy carpet off the floor of the lobby. The small trap door on the floor was barely large enough for the oldest native to enter.

“Go, go. Protect if I fail,” Comma said, ushering Jaro down into the hole despite his hushed protest. Outside, the world was already beginning to go quiet despite all the men and women still fighting.

“At least take this,” Jaro waved his saber towards her but she refused, holding up her staff instead. 

The kids hid in silence, listening as the world went quiet. A voice rang out, Comma, loud and clear as somebody entered the school above them.

“Did I not warn you? No eating black flower, yet you do!”   
  
There was a choking sound as Obran limped across the floor. He had arrows and knives sticking out of his body, along with clothes sticky with the blood of fallen soldiers. 

He was the only one left.


	4. The Loss of Limbs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death everywhere...

Dooku and various other jedi stared down at the planet in surprise. It was small and mostly covered in water besides a small continent. To the north and south were mountains protecting the land from the sea, to the east and west were forest that faded into plains as it moved inland. In the center was a desert.

The only city was in the plains near the western forest. It had high walls that were beginning to crumble at the main entrance thanks to various holes carved out of it. The buildings were made mostly of bricks and wood, but the entire thing was rotting and crumbling. Flying overhead, they could only see a sea of blood and bodies. It was only then that Dooku wondered if bringing his padawan was a good idea, the boy was only sixteen after all.

A little over a dozen jedi knights made their way out of the ship and towards the ruined city. Once inside the walls they found the first body of a corrupted Jedi among the corpses of a hundred poorly armed natives. Despite wanting to know what happened, they were afraid to touch the black ooze leaking from Markel’s body. So he remained stuck to a wall by some sort of glue, his dead eyes watching the ground.

They found the second near what they assumed was a hospital. It wasn’t large, but it was obviously a place of healing. Elderly and infants lay dead and bloody in their beds. Lorah’s red hair was matted with blood and a black ink-like substance. She died after being wrapped in a cord and fabric.

The third was Brucle, who had been speared into the ground with multiple weapons so he was trapped like all the others. Unlike all the others, he was trapped out in the open, the sunlight beating down on him and roasting his flesh. The parasitic ooze that corrupted him was unable to repair his body to escape the sun and instead had left him behind. It traveled a short distance to find a different host before dying in the hot sunlight.

The Jedi split up into groups of six to look for survivors after agreeing that if anybody became infected they would be left behind. Qui gon Jinn, Dooku’s padawan, was possibly the most determined to find at least one survivor. As day began fading into night, the boy became frantic and wandered away from his group to search ruined buildings that the others deemed to dangerous to search.

A shrill cry grabbed his attention and twisted his heart into a knot at how infant- like it sounded.

“Master! I think there’s a baby under there!” Qui gon pointed towards a building whose entrance had been blown out. Rooms and windows were caving in, but the lobby looked solid enough beyond the rubble of the front door.

At the boy’s call all the surrounding Jedi ran to help, hoping to unearth something besides dead bodies and streams of blood.

Sure enough, the shrill cry could be heard again, along with the shushing of somebody older. Dooku entered first, lightsaber out to light up the room. He was careful to avoid the body of Obran, who had been crushed at the entrance. Slowly they made their way through, stepping over small, severed limbs until they made it to the body of a young girl. She laid on a carpet stained with her own blood and the inky parasite that had tried to reach her before dying. Dooku knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

The girl screamed at the sudden touch and tried to bat at him with her left hand. It was her only limb unsevered, and her legs had been cut off at different places.

“It’s alright, it’s okay.” Qiu gon soothed, lowering himself to the ground until he was kneeling beside her. The girl took shaky breaths as she propped herself up slightly on her good arm.

“Protect them, all that’s left. Protect them.”   
  
Nobody could tell for sure if she meant  _ she _ was protecting her people, or if she wanted the  _ Jedi _ to. Qui gon just nodded.

  
“I can help protect them, I promise. We can help, okay?”   
  
The girl nodded shakily. He slowly moved and picked her up, carefully avoiding the black stains on the carpet. Soon the trapdoor was opened and children varying in age from newborns to young teenagers climbed out with Jaro the padawan exiting first.

Comma gave weak words of encouragement to those who were afraid of the jedi. While some of the jedi continued searching, most worked to help the children and shield their eyes from the bodies of their fallen people. Jaro shifted to stand in Comma’s line of sight so she wouldn’t see the bodies of who Obran had once described as her parents.

“Help. Help us? Can’t stay here,” Comma whimpered as somebody bandaged up her wounds. A few jedi exchanged looks before nodding.

“We’ll take care of you and the others.” Dooku knelt down and looked at one of the newborns. He could feel a pull from the force towards the newborns, and many of the children had a strange aura around them. “Qui gon, I want a midichlorian count on all of them, would you?”   
  
His padawan shrugged and nodded. He and a few others bustled around taking blood samples from the children.

Comma fell back asleep as master and pupil argued about whether the machine was broken. After all, how could  _ everybody _ have a high count?   
  
It was odd.   
  



	5. Adjustment and the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the children went after leaving their homeworld.

Comma was having difficulties adjusting to life outside of her homeplanet, but she did her best to support the other children. She went from one of the fastest and most graceful of all to the least, and she used her clumsiness to cheer up the others.

Coruscant was home to a jedi temple, the only sanctuary for the time being. Comma had already given permission to the jedi for them to train the two newborns and a pair of three year olds under the condition that she or one of the others someday get to teach the children the culture.

One of the fifteen children, including Comma, seven were given the choice to join the jedi order as padawans. The newborns, three year olds, five year olds, and Comma herself.

The children to old to join the order were more than provided for. Each child was given an allowance, along with all necessities being paid for by the order. The future children and spouses would be supported for… well, a long time.

Comma walked through the halls slowly and carefully, leaning heavily on her staff for support. With so little time practicing with her new artificial legs. She had difficulties balancing and would often lean towards the right to much.

“You’ll get it,” Qui gon said, taking her good elbow and straightening her out a bit. “And I’ll be here with you until you do.”

She breathed deeply and moved forward to where her first class was supposed to be. It was odd here, having to introduce herself every time she met somebody. It was also nice, though, knowing she could play with other children rather than acting as their third parent. Jaro would visit her and talk to her about the galaxy and maybe play with her sometimes.

“Will Monack and Marsh be alright,” She asked, watching her feet so wouldn’t trip over her own feet. The names were that of the youngest two Fargul children.

“Yes, they’re being very well taken care of. If you’d like I can bring you to the nursery after today’s lessons.”   
  


She nodded excitedly. They reached the doors, but he knelt down to her level and smiled to grab her attention for a moment.

“If your arms, legs, or tail-” yes, tail. It was cut in half so she has a custom-built prosthetic one “-just let Master Yoda know, alright?”   
  


Comma nodded. “Thank you, friend.”

She took a deep breath and prepared herself for whatever was behind the door. She walked in, stumbling slightly. It was just a classroom, a little bigger than she was used to, but still just a classroom. There were about a dozen children around her size sitting on mats on the ground watching her as she limped inside.

“Ah, arrived you have. A little late, hmm?” A jedi master even shorter than any of the children stood in the front of the class. He gave her a small smile, but his ears tilted back slightly in a way that showed his emotion was less than happy. She recognized the little green man from the council, though she couldn’t remember his name.

“Sorry master…”

“Yoda, my name is. Take a seat, you can.” He pointed towards a mat at the front with his cane. She sat with difficulties, struggling to bend her legs until she eventually just landed on her butt hard.

Thus the lessons began.

At first she had difficulties and was to nervous to ask for help, but the other padawans slowly began helping her anyways. Among these padawans forcing help on her was a human boy slightly taller than her with odd brown- colored skin she’d never seen somebody with before.

“Hey, my name’s Mace Windu, what’s yours?”   
  
“Comma. I don’t have a last name, but most would call me “Flavobur, Salus,” the name of a bright yellow flower from my homeworld.” She watched Mace purse his lips and internally panicked that she’d said to much.

“Why don’t we call you… Comma Flavobur then?” He watched as she smiled widely and giggled.

“Really? That’s cool!”   
  
Mace quickly became her friend, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Various other kids and even knights found themselves drawn to her smile. Her laugh could lift anybody’s spirits. Mace held onto her elbow as they walked, supporting and chatting as they walked.

Time seemed to fly much faster once everybody was more or less settled. As sad as it was, the four eldest fargul children had been orphans long before the attack and thus weren’t grieving as much since it had been Comma and her family who provided for them. Still, though, all the children were relying on a few hired hands who acted as nannies. These nannies were the closest thing some of these children had to parental figures.

For Comma Flavobur, she looked up to Dooku and Qui gon, listening to even the most boring lectures as long as it was one of them giving it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The order saw the destruction of the planet's inhabitants as the jedis fault and thus decided to do anything in their power to save the children and keep them happy.
> 
> The youngest kids were welcomed into the order with open arms because the jedi noticed how the kids were able to continue on with a bit of sadness without it consuming them in the slightest.
> 
> Their culture doesn't have a religion other than that they are reborn into a creature or star depending on what they wish, which led the kids to believe that even if its sad they won't see their family again, those who passed on to the next world are happy and watching over them in a different form.
> 
> The fargul believe in the equivalent of "spirit animals" that tend to be more like animal guides from previous generations reborn as an animal.


	6. Kyber Crystals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world crumbles around them

Comma fidgeted as she and six other padawans sat on the ship talking and chatting. Mace sat beside her, trying his best to calm her down.

“They’ll be fine, we’re only going to be gone for a couple days.”

But all she could think of was her people. The eldest boy was an adult now, planing his marriage to a human woman since he got her pregnant. While Comma was happy for them, she was stressed about whether their children would be healthy, or how being a hybrid would affect the babies.

3 years. 3 years Comma had been training and already she was going to find a crystal for a lightsaber. As the ship readied to land, the kids hurried to change into warm clothing. The mines were on an ice planet, and Comma couldn’t help a ripple of fear run through her. She shivered before the doors even open, her hair standing on end.

“Master Yoda… are you sure it’s safe?” She asked as they all stepped out onto the snow everybody was so bundled up they could barely recognize each other.

“Safe, it is,” Yoda assured her. Mace linked his elbow in hers, smiling over at her.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be alright.” Besides, we have comms in case of emergency.”

Comma nodded then looked towards the mine. A voice called for her, similar to the way the flowers back home did. You never knew what they want until you’ve plucked them from the ground. She’d learned to ignore the call of temptations as all the others did, but this was different. It was calm, asking for your attention rather than demanding it.

Together the children entered the mines. Everybody looked around at the walls and ceiling for their crystals except for Comma. She knew exactly were she was going, and Maze followed by her side with a flashlight. They would separate when his worried feeling faded away.

“In here,” Comma whispered, staring down at a small hole in the ground. The hole was slanted, making it impossible to see where it led. Comma dropped in and quickly disappeared from Mace’s view.

“Comma? Are you alright?” Mace called.

“Come on!” A faint call echoed up to him. He slid down into a small cavern. He couldn’t see anything except for Comma, who he had his light shining on. Then she pointed up to the ceiling. The entire roof was covered in long, deadly icicles. The floor was completely flat, though, with occasional white stone spheres standing upright like eggs spread throughout the floor.

“What are these?” Comma asked in a hushed tone, kneeling down and running a hand over a stone. She knocked on it and gasped when it made a hollow noise.

“Some sort of geode?” Mace whispered, grabbing one not far off. It was light, nearly the size of his head, yet light enough to carry under his arm. Comma grabbed one as well and they both ducked into a small passageway to avoid any falling icicles.

With the knife strapped to Mace’s belt he chipped at the stone he was holding without making a dent while Comma watched him. She gripped the knife over his hands, smiling at him, and together the struck the stone. It broke in half. He’d been right, it was a geode. The inside was lined with foggy white crystals with a single, light blue crystal hovering in the middle. It cast a dim glow around them. With a gasped, Mace took the crystal into his hands carefully.

Comma stared down at her own stone, wondering why it wasn’t calling to her. She’d grabbed it out of curiosity, but there was something else calling out to her to find it.

She stood, leaving the stone on the floor unbroken.

“What are you doing? There could be a kyber crystal in there!” Mace said as he stood up and pocketing his own crystal.

“There’s a different one calling to me. I need to go to it.”   
  
She shivered, a wave of fear washing over her. Why was she worried? There was no danger here.

The two kids made their way through the caves carefully. They seemed to be going in circles, trying in vain to find a way into the area Comma’s crystal was calling to her. Mace carried the unopened geode and half of his own while she carried the flashlight, both of them slowly getting more and more frustrated.

They came to a large, high roofed area with walls covered in holes that led to who knows where. Like a crossroads.

“Yo!” Somebody said, catching their attention as they tried to decide which way to go. 

Desfire, though most just called him Des, stood at one of the entrances. He was a human with red hair that made Comma’s heart ache to look at. 

“You guys find anything yet?”   
  
Mace was about to give the boy directions to the cave full of crystals when Comma’s hand slapped over his mouth.

“You must find your way on your own. Perhaps sit and meditate, let a crystal call to you.”   
  
“Psh, fine.” He walked to the center of the room and stood near Mace, staring at the various passages. He made tsking noises while he tried to decide which way to go.

A girl passed through one of the passages, sliding down to and across the room’s icy floor. She slammed into Des hard and they both hit the ground with a grunt. Comma quickly helped the girl up. It was Yaj’gabi, a green and blue twi'lek girl. She laughed and stood, dusting off the snow and ice from her clothes.

“Look!” Gabi fished something from her pocket and showed them. It was a clear crystal it seemed but, when the light hit it, it cast a color somewhere between blue and green.

“Pretty,” Comma gasped. The aura around the crystal shifted momentarily to something joyful. It was like it was happy with the compliment.

“Woah, watch out!” Somebody called from above. It was Sorr, a Cathar male with white fur. He was something called an albino, so he was completely colorless and his eyes were icy blue. He stood at an entrance high above them on a wall. Everybody stepped back and let him drop to the ground.

“Did you all find crystals too?” He held out a small blue crystal, the color of which matching with his eyes perfectly.

“Ugh, seriously?! Am I the only one who hasn’t found one?!” Des groaned. He didn’t notice when everybody else glanced to the unopened geode Mace was holding. Mace snickered, but another kid skipped into the cave before Des could ask what was so funny.

Janlola, usually just called Lola, smiled and waved excitedly. “Hi everybody!”

She entered, followed by the last padawan, Cherbus. They were human fraternal twins, a rare sight within the order, but familiar to comma. A girl and boy, the perfect balance. They held up their crystals. They were little yellow things that matched their blond hair.

“Why are we all here?” Comma asked, gasping and looking around frantically. “Something bad’s about to happen.” 

As if on cue, the ground beneath them began to shake, causing the kids to yelp and grab hold of each other to stay upright. When the shaking stopped, Comma darted towards one of the unknown caves, yelling for them to follow.

They ran inside the cave before the icicles on the ceiling of the crossroad cave could fall and spear them or before the room collapsed. They were unable to go back, with the entrance into the crossroads room blocked by stones and ice.

“Come on!” Comma grabbed Mace’s arm and pulled him after her as they ran. Des was the first to pull out his emergency comm, yelling into it that that the mine was collapsing. Soon the others began crying into it while Comma led them through the passageways.

Another quake made Comma stop and hastily push the kids out of a passage and back into a small cave they’d been passing through a moment prior.

“Go go go!” She cried, pushing them out just before the passage collapsed in on itself. They panted while watching as the other ways out rumbled and cracked. It wasn’t safe to leave those ways. They sat down as Comma began pacing along the rooms walls, searching for a way out.

“That all happened quickly,” Des whispered.

“Tragedy usually does,” Comma replied. “I need all your help. Please, search for a way out with the force.”   
  
“What? How do we even do that?” Lola asked, then looked to her brother. Cherbus just shrugged in confusion.

Comma walked over to the attempt of a circle they were sitting in and joined them on the ground. “Meditate. When your mind is clear, reach out towards the walls.”   
  
Des was the first to obey. He trusted her enough that he didn’t argue or hesitate. His eyes flung open barely a couple seconds later, attention locked on the unopened geode Mace was carrying.

“There’s a kyber crystal in that,” he said matter-of- factly. Mace startled and nodded. After a moment of hesitation, he passed it over and Des began hacking it open.

“Young Comma, can you hear me?” A frantic voice said through her comm. She couldn’t remember the man’s name, but she did recognize it as the jedi who had flown them all there.

“Yes, sir.”

“Is everybody safe?”   
  
“Yes, sir.” She watched as Des cracked the geode open. He was rewarded with a bright green crystal that he quickly pocketed. “And everybody but I have found a crystal.”

“Strange, I thought for sure you would’ve been the first.”   
  
The ground began rumbling and the kids jumped to their feet. Comma’s head snapped up and she raised her left arm to the ceiling as it began to collapse. Everybody jumped to squish themselves against a wall so Comma could drop the rubble without anybody getting hurt.

“Climb, come on!” She yelled, pointed up the rubble to the hole it had created. The kids quickly scrambled up with her and Mace at the back to help if they slipped.

“ _ Come to me _ .” Something seemed to say to Comma. It was louder than before, closer. She decided to follow it. Soon she was running as fast as she could with the kids at her heel, yelling at her that the entrance was the opposite way. However, she knew the entrance had caved in.

“Master, meet us at the western exit,” she said into her comm while she ran. Mace followed at the back so he could watch everybody carefully and make sure none of them stumbled or fell.

They came to a large cavern that stretched so far they couldn’t see the end. They could, however, see a faint glow in the center of the room and the icicles that had shattered against the ground after falling.

Comma hurried to the crystal faintly glowing in the center and grabbed it before leading the kids towards one of the walls. Her flashlight shined on a small hole sealed with a stone.   
  
“Mace, help me out?”   
  
He nodded and used his knife as a lever to push the stone against the floor. The stone shattered, decorating the floor with broken blue crystals.

“Everybody go,” she waved them into the hole. It was long and narrow, barely big enough for them to fit, but the light at the end of the tunnel was enough for Gabi to begin crawling through. Soon Lola and Cherbus followed through, then Sorr and Des.

“You first,” Mace said. Sorr wasn’t even at the exit yet, and Des was pushing on his butt to make him go faster. Comma shook her head.

“If something happens I’m the only one who can-”

The ground shook, interrupting her. Her left hand shot out, stopping the tunnel from collapsing while the right raised to the air to stop the rubble above them from collapsing on them.

“Comma!” Mace tackled her out of the way of the rubble. He shook her while she breathed hard. “Are you alright?!”   
  
“I’m so c-cold,” she whimpered. He pulled her into a hug, knowing it wouldn’t help much because of the thick layers between them.

“It’ll be alright, they’ll come get us soon.” Mace held her to his chest in the tiny corner as they waited for the Jedi to find and save them.


	7. bedridden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comma is recovering after the cave-in

Even after a week of recovery Comma was bedridden. She was unable to put together her saber while they were on the icy planet, so she was returned to Coruscant with the pieces. Her artificial limbs didn’t move properly, the joints frozen and bent slightly from working to long in conditions that were to cold. She had to stay in her room and miss training while her limbs were being repaired.

Mace could remember the first thing she said when she woke up after being rescued.

_“Is everybody okay?”_

He aspired to be as selfless as her, but he was also afraid to be. She nearly died because she valued the lives of others above herself.

“Master Yoda, I seek advice,” he said. He bowed after he entered a small room Yoda often went to meditate. Yoda was sitting on one of the coushines, eyes closed but obviously aware of his surroundings.

“Troubled, you are. Worried about selfishness, hmm?” Yoda opened his eyes and watched as Mace sat down on the cushion across from him.

Mace was used to Yoda knowing more than he let on, but it was still surprising the master knew exactly was was troubling the young boy. “Yes, I… I don’t think I could ever be like Comma. She puts everything and everyone above herself.”

“Selfless to a fault, she is. Love to deeply, she does.”

“Love?”

“Hmm… ask her, you should.”

With that, Yoda closed his eyes and returned to his meditating. Mace was left more confused than before. Regardless, he found himself making his way to Comma’s room. He wanted answers to his questions, and he would get them.

Comma was in her bed as usual, studying a datapad like he life depended on it. Mace knew the subject on the pad was something about feline species, though. Her body below her chest was covered by a blanket but Mace still frowned at the distinct lack of lumps where most of her legs should be. Her tail swished off the side of her bed, the only prosthetic not damaged in the cold.

“Mace! Hey, did you ever see this? It’s about a race called Farghul. They have a lot of similar characteristics to my people!” 

“That’s nice,” he said absently, looking around the nearly spotless room. She had a bed, dresser, and a desk, but no clutter like he always expected to see when he entered her room.

She noticed the odd tone in his voice and frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“I need an answer to something.”

She sat her datapad on her nightstand and patted the bed next to her for him to sit. He obeyed, pulling her into a side hug and laying his cheek on the top of her head.

“How are you so selfless while I’m… not?”

“Because I’d rather die than lose everything I love again.”

“You love me?”

She giggled and looked up to plant a kiss on the tip of his nose. “I love everything, it’s just how my people are. I’m not sure we’re even capable of hating others.”

“That explains why none of you swore to destroy the Jedi Order or something.”

She huffed. “I don’t think any of us can hate the order with how well they are treating us. With Kaman’s baby on the way the order is showering him with baby supplies money for medical bills. His wife is only a couple months in.”

“I thought they were just getting married?”

“They’re getting married _because_ he got her married. His sister’s out looking for love as well. It’s pretty common at that age for us to seek out a mate. We mate for life, you know.”

“You love everything, so if you pour heart out to one person you’d feel like they were your entire life,” Mace reasoned, staring down at her golden hair. It had continued growing throughout the years, since the council had agreed to let her keep it long. Something about cutting it being a sign of war in her culture.

He hoped there would never be a time when she had to cut it.


	8. When love walks away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what would you choose?

  
Mace and Comma were always paired together during sparring lessons because of how advanced they were. It was a show to watch Comma with her staff against Mace’s odd mix of styles. He practiced form seven, but added a mix of various other moves into it. Mostly the swiftness he adopted while watching Comma practice.

The other younglings gathered around and watched in awe, seeming to forget their own sparring matches. Comma and Mace were known for their exaggerations and telling jokes to each other to make them laugh as they battled each other. 

“Vrm, rmm,” Comma said, badly mimicking the sound of lightsabers while they battled with wooden weapons.

“Don’t make the noises!” Mace whined as he struggled not to laugh. She deflected his sword and twisted her staff to twist it out of his hands.

“Heads!” She warned, roundhouse kicking right where his head had been.

“You aren’t supposed to warn me!”

“Oh, right.”

He lept into the air, using the force to pull his sword back into his hands as he landed behind her.

“ShRoO-” she said as his sword met her staff. “Vroom, shRoO, vmmm…”

She laughed as he groaned and began jumping around and beating against her staff. She easily dodged any attacks and would knock him away with a well- placed kick to his gut. 

In the end she won by knocking him out of the ring. He jumped up, challenging her to a rematch, and they began again. Over and over she won, just as she always had. She was the reason he loved to fight so much, but also the reason he knew when not to.

Jedi masters are going to start picking padawans from our clan soon,” Mace said during their break. Comma nodded and took a long drink from a canteen. 

“We’ll probably be chosen,” she replied simply. Mace blinked in surprise at how little she seemed to care before brushing her hair behind her ear so he could see her face.

“Is that really all you have to say? This is your _life_.”

She shrugged and stared at her metal feet. She didn’t wear shoes, there was no point. “You say that like you care.”

Mace didn’t know whether to be annoyed or worried. “What do you mean? I thought we were friends?”

“Yes, but that’s all isn’t it. Friends. Acquaintances, allies. And for how long? The masters teach us not to give in to human emotions, to go against all our instincts. Someday, you’ll choose following the rules over me and forget I ever existed.”

“Forget you? I don’t think I could forget you if I wanted to. I care about you-”

“Like you care about Des or Gabi? Admit it, I’m a classmate and nothing more. You don’t care personally about me, and I doubt you ever will.”

He wanted to argue, but his hands were tied. If he said he loved her, he’d be going against the code. He wasn’t supposed to have personal ties, or love somebody the way he did for her. However, watching her walk away, he knew that if he had to choose between her and the code, he’d choose her.

He’d always choose her.


	9. Lothal Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comma's master brings her to a planet for a test that goes wrong

  
Yaddle smiled up at her padawan, who in turn just watched the sky. The young girl was troubled, an aura of hopelessness waving off Comma.

“What is troubling you?”

The young girl startled her master’s voice. “Nothing, master.”

“Then let us continue.”

The girl followed her master quietly, watching only Yaddle as she was led around.

“Lothal… this place reminds me of my homeworld.” A cat scamered down from a building and rubbed against her leg. Its meows were loud and excited as she picked it up and rubbed its head.

Yaddle noticed the child’s pain disappear all at once, replaced by a light, joyous feeling.

“I didn’t know you like animals,” Yaddle said. The girl shrugged and dropped the cat, shooing it away.

“They love with no strings attached.”

Yaddle knew that wasn’t true, but decided not to correct the child. She instead made a mental note to find a loophole in the code so Comma could have an animal companion.

“You have yet to tell me what we’re doing here, master.” Comma looked down at Yaddle, waiting patiently for an answer. That’s one of the reasons the master chose her. The young girl was always patient, never demading anything. 

“A secret, yes… we are checking on this place to ensure there is no hidden danger.” The master lied.

In reality, Yaddle had chosen this world because of how similar the plains were to Comma’s homeworld. She wanted to ensure the girl wouldn’t break at the similarities. Instead of crying or cursing, the girl walked around in what could only be described as a daze. She watched the sky, or Yaddle, but never the ground or the people. So far, Yaddle’s test had caused two things to happen. 1, Comma’s breathing was strained from the grief she’d dammed up inside her chest. 2, Yaddle was stuck with the bitter taste of guilt for causing the sweet child so much pain. Comma would not break down, but the pure pain rolling off the girl in waves were so powerful Yaddle had to fight off the urge to cry.

“I don’t sense any darkness,” the girl frowned.

Yaddle learned her lesson about testing Comma’s place in the force. She would never do it again.


	10. Losing Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mace made a mistake.

Mace showed off his new lightsaber to anybody who would lend him their attention. It was a deep purple thanks to a rare colored crystal he’d gotten during a mission. People gathered around, namely Dess and Gabi.

Later he found his way to Comma’s room, excited as he reached to knock but stopping himself. It was the same every time. He would hesitate at the door, then turn away.

She’d been right after all. Soon after he turned fifteen he made his choice, and it still echoes in his head. If he could go back, he knew he would never make the mistake twice.

_“Mace, I love you,” she said. He stiffened and turned towards her. They stood on her balcony, looking out over the sparkling city. She took his hands in hers, lips trembling. “I love you, Mace.”_

_His mouth gaped as he tried to think of what to say. He wanted to confess, to tell her how she was the only thing that lit up his world. But instead he pulled away. The code… he had to obey the code._

_“You said-” she started, eyes beginning to water._

_“I know what I said, but that was years ago. You were right, Jedi aren’t allowed to love.” His heart felt like it was being torn apart by his own words, and he didn’t want to know how badly they broke her. He wanted to scream or cry, but the way she began to weep was what kept his face blank. He left her there on the balcony, understanding for the first time why some people killed themselves when they lose somebody they love._

_He didn’t have a right to die, though, because it was his fault he lost her._


	11. Hello and Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comma meets a politican

“Hello and welcome,” the young politician said, welcoming the two jedi into his summer home. The man was in his late 20’s, with dark hair and grey eyes. His smile was friendly and welcoming. “I am Sheev Palpatine.”

Comma bowed slightly to him and his eyes darted to her immediately.

“You- you’re Comma Flavobur, the protege. You’re one of the youngest people to ever be knighted as a jedi! You’re, what, 18? 19?”   
  
“20.”   
  
“Still, very impressive!”

She blushed at his complement, earning a strange look from her companion. Qui go Jin had joined her for this mission and so far was enjoying it. Then again, the mission did only start a few hours ago.

“So, tell us about this attacker,” Qui gon said, diverting Palpatine’s attention from the young woman. Palpatine had requested Comma for this personally, saying he was curious about her abilities. Nobody was surprised, a Jedi knight of her age was unheard of in this age. She had passed her tests without difficulties, though.

“Yes, yes of course. Come, follow me so we can sit down.” Palpatine led the jedi to a dining room with a small square table with four chairs. As soon as Comma sat down, his eyes were on her. “My dear, you walk with the grace of the wind.”   
  
She blushed again and looked towards a droid bringing drinks out.

“Describe. The. Attacker.” Qui gon stole the man’s attention again.

“Oh, yes. It was a young humaniode man. Black hair and eyes, long cat-like tail. Greyish skin. I didn’t recognize the species, but I think he was some sort of hybrid. He was a bounty hunter.”

“Bounty hunter? I thought you said this was an assasination attempt.”   
  
“Yes, well, somebody who doesn’t like my political views probably hired him, hmm?” His gaze turned back to her. “How are you with politics?”   
  
“I’m considered a pro at peaceful negotiations.”   
  
“Among other things, right? I bet other Jedi are jealous of your skills.”

She chuckled. “Jedi don’t get jealous.”   
  


Qui gon knew that wasn’t true, he’d seen the way that padawan Mace looked at anybody she walked with at the temple. Jealousy was a normal emotion, especially for somebody in love. Qui gon would never admit it, but he felt the same about a woman he knew.

“Can you tell us for what reason he would be hunting you?” Qui gon asked. Palpatine shrugged as if the threat on his life was nothing new. Seeing as he was a politician, that’s actually not unlikely.

“I’m a person of power. I’m sure I have many enemies, even ones I don’t know of.” He smiled at Comma. “I’m sure somebody as beautiful as you understand what it’s like having people chasing after you. Though, probably for much different reasons, huh?”   
  


Qui gon could practically see hearts in the man’s eyes as he stared at the woman. However, Comma’s face darkened and she looked away. She wasn’t interested.

“Tell me, have you heard that knew music style made by that up and coming opera singer. They call it Karma.” Palpatine quickly changed the subject and looked back and forth between the two jedi. Qui gon looked confused, but Comma nodded quickly. 

“The singer is called Mordre. She’s well known for telling stories with messed up endings with her dancers. She has a show here in a couple days.”   
  
Palpatine smiled again and nodded. “Yes, and I’m going to one for negotiations with an… alley. I want you two to go with me as protection.”   
  
Comma paled. “I, uh, was hoping to stop your attacker before then.”   
  
“It’ll be fine. I have spare rooms for you to stay in until the assassin is caught.”   
  
Qui gon was about to deny the offer before glancing outside at the world beyond the house. A lush yard and pond lay beyond Palpatine’s lake side home. The closest city was Theed and it was to far. If somebody attacked Palpatine, he would be injured or worse before they even arrived. They didn’t have much of a choice but stay. Comma didn’t seem to mind, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The grossest thing about this is that Sheev would be, like, 27 at this point


	12. Stolen Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine is better at flirting than you'd think.

For the next couple days Palpatine went out of his way to complement every little thing about Comma, especially her eyes.

_ “They glow like a star, burning bright and shining with a guiding light through even the darkest of nights.” _

Qui gon decided he didn’t like Palpatine.

_ “You’re too precious to live you life alone.” _

The male jedi wondered how hard Mace would punch the politician if he was there.   
  
“Is it true Jedi aren’t allowed to love?”

_ Yes and no, _ Qui gon would think to himself.  _ Yes, they allowed to love- even encouraged- as long as it isn’t a personal connection. They are supposed to care about all life, peace, and the jedi order. No, they aren’t supposed to marry or have children except for specific people or species with permission from the council. _

“Yes it’s true,’ Comma replied. Her eyes danced around the politician’s face.

“Your species, though, they love very strongly and wholeheartedly.”

“And if they choose to hate, they do so the same way. How do you know that, anyways?”

He smiled and waited for Qui gon to leave the room before gently pulling her to him so she was only inches from him. “I met one once. He said if you can steal a kiss, they’ll love you forever.”

His grin widened as he pulled her to his chest and kissed her deeply. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t try to push him away. The young woman seemed to melt into his arms as he stole her breath away.

“So is it true?” He whispered into her ear with a chuckle as he kept her upright. She looked into his eyes and he watched her eyes slowly turned to the same icey blue as his. Her legs shook and she pulled him into another kiss. 

_ Yes _ , she thought as she fought away tears at the pain of her heart being torn in half.

\--

_ **im putting this here cause people don't always read notes and this is important. Commas eyes will turn back to gold when they are apart. The color change is a side effect of palpatine being a different species when they were bound.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Soul mates" for Comma's species is different than most. Instead of the universe just finding a lover for them, it also binds them together. Any mixing of fluids including saliva or blood bonds them together. They fall even more in love than before. It affects palpatine too, he really is in love.
> 
> I imagine the binding feels similar to being under a love potion.
> 
> Commas eyes turn blue as a side effect of him being a different species when they were bound. They'll return to their normal color when they are apart.


	13. Fall of Lychnus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mordre's song.

“Qui gon, you stand guard at the door. I’ll stand below and keep an eye out for anybody matching the description.” Comma walked into the dining room as she spoke. Qui gon choked on his drink when he saw what she was wearing.

Half shirts weren’t unheard of for a jedi, but this one was white that was tye-dyed bright reds and blues that bled into a deep purple. Her pants were colored the same, leaving the only reminder of her jedi attire being the brown belt she wore with her lightsaber clipped to it.

“What are you wearing?”

“I’m practicing undercover outfits. Ready to go?”

Qui gon glanced down at his normal dirt- colored outfit then to an entering Palpatine. The politician was dressed in similarly colorful clothing to Comma. His long sleeved, tye-dyed shirt was tucked into black pants. He removed his colorful, shiny trench coat and laid it over Comma’s shoulders. He didn’t want her to “get cold,” but everybody knew he was just trying to hide her lightsaber. 

They made their way to the show quickly, which was being held in the capital. Theed. Naboo was an avid protector of the arts so it wasn’t surprising they would enjoy hearing or learning about something as unique as Mordre’s music. It was unlike anything anybody had heard. The only instrument was a single box that would play a different melody depending on the song she wanted to sing. No matter what the story was, the song was haunting and the echo was known to creep people out.

The colorful style the fans wore to the shows started after only her second appearance on stage. She and the dancers often wore bright and eccentric clothing, but none of the fans would spoil the shows by telling how or why.

Today’s show was titled “Fall of Lychnus.” It was a mystery, since nobody had ever heard of a planet or ruler by the name. Palpatine must’ve though, because his excited smile faded into surprise and possibly a little grief. 

The show started with a dark stage, the lights brightening the stage all at once. A woman stood on stage in a long white gown with various symbols and handprints on it in shining yellow like gold. She held an umbrella above her head with large yellow flowers sprouting from the fabric. At her feet were plucked red, green, and blue flowers. Small dolls of the same colors had then strings tying them to the ends of her dress. A metal box hung from the end of the umbrella. There was no knob or winder that could be seen, but everybody knew that it was the music box.

She tilted her umbrella back to see long, golden hair braided and rolled into a bun on the back of her head. She was blindfolded with a torn white cloth. She opened her mouth and the sound of winding echoed before the song began to play with her first verse.

_ “Meadow Meadow, within the trees. _

__ _ With golden flowers loved by all you see.” _

The lights began shifting colors from yellow to blue.

_ “Beautiful beautiful skies above, _

__ _ Shine down to share it’s love.” _

Four dancers dressed in white robes came in skipping gracefully with their hands hidden behind their backs. They all wore white skull masks, but their hair was all different, bright color. The men were green, blue, and black. The woman had long red hair. In the shadows you could see one younger (or, at least, much smaller) dancer twirling and sliding across the floor in a flash of purple.

_ “Trees trees surround us fully, _

__ _ No fruit, leaves only.” _

She turned towards the people lined up in front of her. They bowed, she pointed towards the lead man’s- blue’s- chest. 

_ “But beware there the dark flowers, _

__ _ Of dangerous temptations and powers.” _

Black pulled a bouquet of inky black flowers before the lights suddenly flickered off. A truly gruesome sight was shown. In the darkness, the paint on Mordre’s dress glowed bright red like blood. The handprints dragged and was startlingly similar to a child’s. Anything that was white glowed faintly, showing the masks of the dancers to be ghoulish with dips around the eyes, nose, and mouths like there was something black leaking from them. The flowers Black had been holding had a faint red paint on them the same as all the ones on the ground.

_ “One bite, one touch, _

__ _ That’s all it took. _

_ Everybody joined the fight, _

__ _ To protect the innocent.” _

Something blew wind at the flowers at her feet, lifting them up and throwing them into the face of the dancers. They snarled and gnashed their teeth at her, but began falling to the floor one by one. Except for blue, who limped towards her.

_ “Home, home, within the city, _

__ _ Child weeps but earn no pity.” _

The monster swiped at her with a wooden sword pulled from his belt. A long vine of thorns twisted up the blade.

_ “The streets and homes filled with puddles, _

__ _ But our brains to twisted up in muddles. _

_ To remember, remember, which way to go.” _

The monster attempted to steal her umbrella, but she ripped it away last minute. She lowered it, barely hiding the dolls around her feet.

Qui gon was so immersed in the show he barely caught a small spike thrown at Palpatine’s head. Somebody lept onto the balcony, armed with only a spear and various knives strapped to his body Palpatine had described the boy well. The attacker was almost entirely covered in black leather, and his hair and tail were both pitch black. His eyes, however, were red with golden rims. Nobody below seemed to have noticed what was happening.

Upon seeing the jedi ignite his lightsaber, the bounty hunter’s eyes widened in fear and he attempted to flee over the balcony ledge, only to have Palpatine stomp on his long tail to stop him. He yelped and spun around, hands up in surrender.

_ “The school, the home of learning, _

__ _ Held the lives, for which they were yearning. _ ”

The boy’s eyes teared up slightly from a glance he took at the stage, but he quickly fought it down and looked away from where the monster was closing in on Mordre.

_ “A creature of love, born of hate, _

__ _ Used herself as the finest bait.” _

Mordre knelt down, her gown hiding all the dolls underneath it while she held her umbrella over her head once again.

_ “One touch, one bite _

__ _ They sought to pass on the darkness. _

_ But failed to realize, _

__ _ We were immune to the temptations.” _

The glowing of the paint disappeared as the monster lunged at her, enveloping the stage in complete darkness besides a small golden flower at the edge of the stage.


	14. The black star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A kyber crystal is found

“Did you catch him? I’m so sorry, I didn’t think he’d slip passed me like that.” Comma looked around the room for the criminal, but the boy was hidden from her view by Qui gon and Palpatine standing side by side. On purpose, if I might add.

“Do you know what this is?” Qui gon asked, holding a small metal box out to her. It radiated pain, and faint red light bled out for the cracks. She reached for it, opening it before anybody could protest.

“The Black Star,” she said. Her face twisted into a pain expression as she pulled out a small crystal with four points out of the container. “It’s… from my homeworld. It was a unique creation of somebody like me long ago. It had a natural warning against if somebody was corrupted, it would emit black shadows and shroud itself and anybody around it from the monsters.”   
  
Qui gon thought back to his short time on her homeworld, which was dubbed “temptation” by the jedi mappers. It was on a small list of planets that people were forbidden to travel to. However, Qui gon had never heard of this crystal before.

“I thought it was lost, how did he get a hold of it?”   
  


Qui gon and Palpatine exchanged a look before moving aside so Comma could see the perpetrator. 

“Russel?” She gasped. “What- why? I- I don’t understand!”   
  
Russel’s tail flicked as he glared up at his once- ruler. “Maybe you’d get it if you ever checked up on your people.”

“B-but you all moved to Lothal! Armen sends me updates!”   
  
“About himself! I’ve been a bounty hunter for seven years!  _ SEVEN! _ And you didn’t even notice that I’ve been gone from the rest of the clan since!”   
  
He bared his teeth, showing off sharp canines. His black hair fell over his red and yellow eyes while he growled at her.

“I failed you,” she whispered, hands shaking as she held onto the crystal. Palpatine pulled her into a hug as she began crying.

She’d failed them.


	15. A lullaby for the broken.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I heard a story a long time ago and I thought mordre wouldve liked it.

Mordre the musician told stories people didn’t hear from books. History was written by the victors, but she seemed to know the other side. She told secrets and solved mysteries, especially the ones that various organizations including the jedi order didn’t want out.

Mordre stood in the center of a stage, her mask red with beaded strings hanging off her chin. Her arms and legs were painted in intricate red markings. For once, her song echoed more like a lullaby, sung slow and softly. It didn’t erase the creepy and haunting tone from the music box she held in her hands though.

_ “Hush little child don’t say a word, _

__ _ I will make sure you don’t get hurt.” _

A bunch of small people, possibly actual children, ran over to her, linking arms in a circle around the woman. They skipped circles around her, small smiles visible under masks similar to her’s, along with the red tattoos and black clothing. The most notable thing was the way their eyes glowed in red and yellow.

_ “Hush little child, don’t you cry _

__ _ I will make sure you are alright.” _

Several dull lights shined along the sides of the stage. There were at least a dozen people there, four from each direction, dressed in all white with swords held up the swords had blue or green electricity dancing along the blade and illuminating their faces. Skull masks bleached white hid their faces. The kids seemed to panic, hiding behind the woman and cowering away.

_ “Quiet little babe, don’t you weep, _

__ _ In my arms I will hide thee.” _

She widened her arms defensively as the enemy made their way closer, closing in on them. 

_ “And when the sun rises, early in the morn, _

__ _ I will hold thee forever more. _ ”   
  


The children’s mouths opened as the enemy closed in, standing barely a foot away while she continued defending the children.

_ “But when it’d dark, _

__ _ And the enemy returns, _

_ Cry out for me child, and I will come. _

__ _ I will hold you close, _

_ And I will sing…” _

The enemy raised their swords, and the lights went out. Her voice echoed through the room as the only lights they could see were the green and blue sabers.

_ “...Hush little child, don’t say a word, _

__ _ I will make sure you don’t get hurt.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I heard a story about how the sith species were attacked by the Jedi and nearly wiped out during the war because the Jedi were afraid of them attacking again. I dont know where the stories from but I think about it a lot.


	16. The Story of Revan (or at least part of it)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is fine.

Mace watched as Comma walked passed him with her eyes on a datapad. She didn’t notice him, but his eyes followed her as she walked gracefully away. He wanted to talk to her, ask how she was doing, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He’d hurt her, he didn’t deserve another chance.

His feet moved on their own.

“Wait, Comma!” He called. She turned around and watched him with a blank stare. He ran to catch up with her.

“Is something wrong?” She asked, looking around. 

“No, no. I’ve been asked to attend Mordre’s show and ask her a few questions afterwards. I have two tickets, so I was hoping you’d come.”   
  
She shook her head as a refusal. “I’ll be gone with… uh, a person.”

“Is it Palpatine?” He asked with a snarl. She glared back and he immediately regretted his words.

“No. I’ll have you know I don’t really like sitting in a seat and watching history as much as like teaching or learning about it.   
  
She left him there as he mentally cursed himself for behaving so rudely. He went to the show with Qui gon, who had admitted on multiple occasions about enjoying the history lessons.

A music box began to play, the same one as always but with a different melody. As usual, it was haunting, sending a shiver down the spines of the jedi. The lights brightened slowly to show Mordre sitting on a throne. She wore a helmet with the front lifted up slightly so everybody could see only her mouth.

The mask was black and red with a very slim band of one-way glass where the eyes should be. It was a very old Mandalorian style. She wore white and orange as she tapped feet against the floor to the music box. 

_ “Decisions decisions, all or them wrong. _

__ _ Trying and fighting to sing my song, _ ”   
  


Her voice started soft and calmly. She pulled a sword from her belt and stood up. Somebody in a skull mask came forth, grabbed the sword, and pretended to lecture her. She grabbed back the sword right before others ran out onto the stage. They wore masks similar to hers. Mandalorians all armed to the teeth with guns and vibroswords.

_ “Missions and visions, for righting wrongs. _

__ _ An oath, to loath, and fight these battles.” _

She began beating against the mandalorians with the skull masked man at her heels until they were piled up in a heap at her feet. The lights went out for a moment, then the bodies on the floor glowed red and blues, along with various other small people who must’ve snuck in with the lights off. The masks they wore were painted to look like white skulls. Her sword came to life with red electricity dancing along the blade. Her cloak seemed to be shrouded in shadows.

_ “Decisions decisions from days gone and past. _

__ _ In times before hatred that could never last.” _

A man with brown hair and a skull mask darted up onto the stage, a boa-staff glowing bright yellow with symbols painted on it. He clashed with Mordre, the colors of their weapons mixing and created bright orange flashes of light.

_ “Remember remember of purity, _

__ _ As children playing and flying and our immaturity.” _

The man with a boa-staff knocked Mordre down. There she knelt as the skull- masked men and women rose from the ground and surrounded her. The lights flickered for barely a second and shot on to show her sitting in her throne with the man at her side.

_ “Decisions decisions,” _ she said, voice echoing. Her music box had stopped, giving the theatre a new air of creepiness.  _ “All of them wrong.” _

_ “Think back to the days when I sang my song. _ ” The man said, his voice smooth and enchanting. Mace felt like he knew the voice, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

_ “But days have gone and past, the days move without thee,” _ she stood, turning to the man and taking his hands in hers.

_ “And I pray there never comes a day when you remember me.” _ He replied, leaning for a kiss right before the lights shut off for good.

Qui gon turned to Mace, who’s mouth gaped in surprise. “That… that was the story of a sith lord.”   
  
Qui gon wanted to ask what a sith was, but decided against it. Whatever it was, Mace’s worry made it obvious it was something to fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Revan isnt technically canon but it is to me.


	17. To early for this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange, this is.

_ It was to early for this _ , Yaddle decided. Waking up early in the morning with a feeling of dread setting in her bones was not what she planned for. What’s worse, she wasn’t the only one.

Comma jumped out of her bed and ran to the bathroom.

“Are you alright, my dear?” Palpatine asked, quickly going to her and pulling her hair away from her face while she threw up into the toilet.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I might just be a little sick.” She put a hand to her forehead to check for a fever. With an arm around her waist, Palpatine led her back to bed. She looked out the window to Lothal. She came here so often to take care of her people that Palpatine bought a small farm in secret for them. He always came here when she did, making an excuse about fresh air or sometimes just disappearing completely for a few days or even an entire week.

“I love you,” she whispered as he laid down beside her. He hushed her gently, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest.

“I love you too.”   
  


She threw up a couple more times before he tried to convince her to go to the closest healer.

“No, I think… Sheev, I’m pregnant.” She leaned against the bathroom wall with him by her side.    
  
“What?” He stopped working for a second as he tried to process it. Then, his head snapped up and he stared at the ceiling as he thought back to the few months prior when they got married. Their honeymoon was  _ definitely _ entertaining. He put a hand against her stomach absently. 

She looked up at him sadly. “You’d think I would notice before now, huh?”   
  
He felt a faint kick against his hand and he smiled brightly. “I’m gonna be a father!” Then he looked at how exhausted Comma was and he frowned. “We should get you to a doctor to make sure you’re alright.”   
  
She shook her head, tearing up. “Not yet. Not yet… I need to say goodbye to my master… and Mace.”   
  
“Good bye?”   
  
“They’ll find out soon enough if they haven’t already, so I might as well leave the order before they kick me out.”   
  
He pulled her into a hug as she cried, trying to hide his happiness.


	18. My last goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comma says goodbye

Mordre asked to put on a show for the jedi council. They were hesitant but eventually agreed because their curiosity outweighed their worry. They wondered about what history lesson she had planned. So, many members of the council filed into a mostly empty theatre, along with a few who were invited by Mordre personally. Qui gon Jin, Mace Windu, Desfire Boyjarr, Yaj’gabi, and Palpatine sat in a booth and watched from above as the lights faded in to show Mordre in bright, colorful attire. A pamphlet was given to each person upon arrival, letting them know the show’s name was “The Last Goodbye.”She held an umbrella to block out the lights so nobody could see her face, but the bright golden glow of her eyes could be seen throughout the theatre. Her music box glowed a faint red in her free hand, and the jedi could sense the pain and fear rolling out of it in waves. It did not play a tune. 

_ “My friends, my family, you will not weep.” _ Mace gasped, finally recognizing her voice. It seemed many of the council did too.

_ “It’s not like you will not miss me.” _

Qui gon looked pained, like he’d been hoping it wasn’t truly her. Her voice was calm and smooth, but it sounded more like a poem than a song.

_ “Master master, you should not cry, _

__ _ I promise I will be alright.” _

Yaddle covered her face in her hands, peeking out through her fingers. Her eyes were pained, but she did not break composure. 

_ “Sisters, brothers, dry your eyes, _

__ _ And promise to never again tell me lies.” _

Comma’s eyes darted up to Mace, who was hastily wiping the tears away as they fell.

_ “My friends, my family, you are now free, _

__ _ Because you no long have to worry about me. _

_ Master master, you have to try, _

__ _ Dry off your misty eyes.” _

Yaddle sniffed, rubbing away the tears before the other Jedi turned towards her.

_ “Sisters, brothers, the day has come, _

__ _ For me to leave and never return.” _

She leaned to umbrella away to smile at the front row before bowing. With the shadow gone they could see the small bump on her belly and a small diamond ring on her left hand. The lights flicked off for a second and, when they turned back on, she was gone. Mace turned and ran out of the booth and into the halls, hoping to block the exit before she left. He would beg her to reconsider, or offer her help is she was in trouble.

By the time he got to the exit, she was gone. The shows pamphlet was left stuck to a wall. In bold, red letters she’d written a note for Mace.

_ “I love you, Mace. But he loves me back.” _

He cried for her.


	19. Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Searching for somebody who doesnt want to be found.

Most of the council members were hesitant to look for Comma. She‘d left the order in a strange fashion, sure, but the note she left behind showed that she did so for love. Those who believed she’d fallen to darkeness repeatedly pointed out that whatever she was carrying around (“It’s a music box,” Mace or Qui gon would reply) had dark and evil energy. They would be told many times that it had dark energy because it had absorbed the pain caused by the attempted genocide on her species.

Palpatine was no help, saying she invited her to her shows often with no word other than “she wanted to,” which actually made sense. Many upper class people were invited to a show or too because if they came back, they would often bring a throng of rich folk with them.

In the end, the council received a message from Comma stating that she deemed protecting her people and her future children more important than being one of thousands of Jedi. They decided it was unnecessary to search for her.

Mace couldn’t accept it.

For months he searched for her, first on Lothal among a small village of her people who denied she was there, then on other planets similar to what she described her homeworld as when they were children. The council warned him repeatedly about personal attachments, going as far as threatening punishments. He ignored everybody except for Qui gon, who told him to follow his heart.

His heart told him to return to Lothal almost six months after Comma disappeared.


	20. A swear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine's an idiot.

Something was terribly wrong with Sheev. He would coo at the unborn children, singing songs from her old shows or humming things Comma didn’t recognize. That wasn’t what worried her, it was what he would say or do afterwards.

“You’ll be the most powerful and talented child in the world. Capable of pulling ships out of the air with my teachings.”   
  
“What do you mean _ your _ teachings?” He kissed her fiercely, as if hoping to change the subject. She pushed him away. “What do you mean, Sheev.”

He stared into her eyes for a moment before smiling devilishly. 

“I suppose I have to tell you sooner or later.”   
  
He stood, walking towards the window and staring out over their farm. It wasn’t much. There were a few animals in a pin that Comma loved dearly, including a young white Loth cat she kept as a pet. There was a giant garden, one that she grew and sold in a nearby town for cheap. They had enough money to live comfortably thanks to Sheev’s wealth. Already there was a nursery set up in one of the other two bedrooms. It was set up in bright and gender neutral colors with clothes and toys dotting the shelves. She didn’t want to tell him there would be two, a boy and girl as usual, and was hoping he’d be happy with the surprise.

“Tell me what?”   
  
“You love me?” He turned back to her, eyes hidden by his dark bangs.

“You know I do, now spill.”    
  
He looked up, eyes red and yellow. They were eyes she recognized well from her studies back at the temple. Sith eyes. She darted up and made a run for the door, only for it to slam shut. Palpatine’s hand was raised, eyes bright with fury.

“You said you loved me,” He snarled. His hand reached for her, squeezing slightly. She gasped for air as he strangled her with the force. Then she fell to the floor in a heap and he internally panicked. 

“I could’ve killed her,” he breathed, holding her head to his chest. With some difficulty he carried her to the bed and laid her on top. “She’ll be safe here. Yes, of course.”   
  
He carefully tied her wrists to the bedpost and sat at the foot of the bed and waited impatiently for her to wake up. He cooed at her belly, and stuttered apologies at the unconscious woman.

“Come on, come on, wake up so we can talk about this.”   
  
It took some time, but her eyes fluttered open before she suddenly snapped to awareness. She breathed hard, staring around the room before her eyes finally landed on a worried Palpatine. 

“Comma, shh, it’s alright. It’s alright dear-” he reached for her, only to be kicked in the gut.

“Don’t touch me! Why am I tied down?! Let me go!”   
  
“Not until you listen to me!” He growled. He jumped over her, holding her chest down with one hand and holding her face with the other. “There is no peace, there is only  _ passion _ , and you are mine. I will give you the galaxy, our child will live like royalty!”   
  
Comma’s eyes watered as she stared up at Palpatine’s crazed eyes. “I don’t want that though. I just wanted to live here, with you and them. I wanted to watch them grow up loving life not death!”

His eyes held back a storm, but it suddenly cleared. “Them? We’re having twins?”   
  
She kicked him in the gut, then pulled a finger on her fake hand out of its socket. She jumped out of bed, running to the door before he could stop her. She heard him yell in rage, and felt his hand grab her hair. He slammed her face into the wall beside the front door, hands gripped tight on her long hair.

She cried out in pain as he pulled her by her hair. He turned her to face him and pressed her against the wall. Her vision blurred from tears and blood dripping down her forehead. Before she could even process what the sudden bright red light was, he’d used his lightsaber to cut through her only real remaining limb. She opened her mouth to scream in pain, only for it to be strangled by his hand moving from her hair to wrap around her throat. He watched the way her blood dripped and created a puddle at their feet.

His red blade hovered barely an inch from the stub, burning the flesh until the bleeding slowed. Her mouth opened in a plea for relief and her eyes flowed over in tears.

“Shh, don’t cry. You love me, don’t you? You said so. It’ll be over soon, and then we can be together. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”   
  
He released her the moment she began losing consciousness. She gasped for air and began crying as he pulled her into his chest.

“Shh, you’ll be safe with me.”   
  
A look over his shoulder showed Comma’s music box and saber sitting on the window sill. She reached out with the force, pulling them both to her. He spun around, deflecting her lightsaber with his own, only to have her kick him in the back of the knee. Another blow to the head with the metal box sent him to the ground. 

She ran to the yard with the music box still in her hand. She quickly mounted the speeder she usually used for grocery runs and took off. 

“I will find you! You’re mine, ‘til death do us part! Those children will be mine, and I will destroy the galaxy if it means taking them!”

She didn’t doubt him.


	21. A promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mace's heart is broken.

Mace followed his heart. He followed it to the middle of nowhere, hundreds of miles from Fargultown, where Comma’s people lived. He landed in a field and began walking. He didn’t make it far before finding a trail. Something had gone just over the tall grasses, breaking the very top of them so you could only barely see the trail.

The jedi followed the trail, growing more and more concerned as he noticed blood begin to drip onto the grass. He came to a break in the tall grass caused by large rock formations and what looked like a make-shift landing platform. A shrill cry grabbed his attention, but he could’ve easily found his way by following a trail of blood from a speeder across the ground. 

“Comma?!” He cried, running over to the golden haired beauty on the ground. A small baby boy was curled up to her side, wrapped in the torn white cloth of her gown. There was blood pooling around her, a lot of which coming from her severed arm. It looked like somebody tried to cataurize it but failed. 

“Mace,” she breathed. It came out in a wheeze. Mace looked to the hand shaped bruises around her throat as he quickly took off his robe and began ripping the fabric for bandages.

“You’ll be alright. You’ll be safe with me.”  
  
She flinched and grabbed his arm weakly. “His name… Mace too. After you. Protect him, don’t tell them who his parents are… Sent the girl away… had to… tell them all she died with me.”

“Why, who was the father, who did this to you?”  
  


“The father… sith…” Her face scrunched up in pain. 

Her mouth opened as she tried to say more, possibly the father’s name, but couldn’t find her voice. She pushed him away, lips moving in a silent “go.” She didn’t want him to see her die, but her last wish was in vain.

Her hand fell away.

“No. No no no… wake up, you have to wake up.” He gasped for air, suddenly feeling strangled. He finally realized Jedi weren’t allowed to love because losing her was so painful. He couldn’t breath. “I need you!” no that’s not enough. “Your _son_ needs you! Please, you were supposed to be happy.”   
  
He picked up the baby as tears welled in both their eyes. Carefully and gently, he wrapped the baby in the sleeve of his robes. “You need to love him, and teach him how to love others. You have to show him how to make Mordre’s haunting melodies out of nothing but paper and a metal box. You have to hold him when he’s crying or sick, so that one day he’ll do the same for you.”   
  
His throat felt warm, and the tears on his face stained his cheeks pink. He’d never cried like this before, he didn’t know what to do with this pain in his chest. 

“I love you, I always will… and I promise you, I will protect your children.” He’d do everything for them that she couldn’t.

A kiss to seal the deal.


	22. The children.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens to the children.

A young pirate took the job. He wasn’t anybody important, just a crew member, but he convinced the captain to let him keep this small bundle in his arms. The woman from Lothal had begged him to take this little baby and shelter it. Or, perhaps, to send it someplace safe. The baby girl was quiet and small. Her long, golden tail was wrapped around her body protectively as she slept.

“What are _we_ going to do with a baby?” One of the other men groaned. He smiled down at his new child and rocked it gently as it stirred.

“She belongs to me. Her name’s Morgan, that’s what the mother said. My little Morgan, such a beauty.” He said as the baby cooed up at him. Her eyes stared up at him, shiny with different colored eyes. One gold, one blue. She smiled and grabbed onto an outstretched finger.

“Whatever you say, Hondo.”  
  
-

Mace kept the secret to an extent. He had to give some explanation for why he returned with a baby and the body of Comma Flavobur at the same time. Only Yaddle, Yoda, and Qui gon Jin (since he continually pestered him for information and had a reliable alibi) were allowed in on the secret. Three things they knew for sure.

1, Comma fell in love with somebody who claimed to love her back that man convinced her to leave the jedi order, or perhaps she thought they would kick her out because she was already pregnant.

2, Comma learned the man was evil, or bad in a way. She called him a sith, but the two masters denied it, saying they’d destroyed them a long time ago. Mace didn’t believe it.

3, two children were born, a boy named Mace and a girl who’s name they were unsure of. The baby would be raised as a jedi… a never be told where he was from.

Palpatine asked once whatever happened to Comma, and Mace replied with the same thing he told everybody else.

“She was killed and her daughter along with her.”


End file.
